Second in a 10-part series previewing the 2014 Patriots. Next, a look at Tom Brady at age 37.

Might the strength of the Patriots’ schedule bring the team to its knees in 2014?

When it comes to the strength of their schedule, the Patriots can lay claim to being a top-10 team in ’14.

The Pats’ opponents this season had a combined winning percentage of .516 last year, making New England’s the 10th toughest schedule in the NFL.

Of the four teams in the AFC East, only the New York Jets (.520; ninth in the league) have a more difficult slate.

The Miami Dolphins (.510) and Buffalo Bills (.500) check in at 12th and 14th in the league, respectively.

Upon further review, the Patriots’ schedule probably isn’t enough to drag them back to the pack in the AFC East, but by season’s end it might impact their seeding in the conference (second to Denver last year).

While the optimist would point out the Patriots open and close the season with three teams that failed to make the playoffs in 2013 – their Sept. 7 opener with the Dolphins at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium among them – the pessimist might conclude that the schedule could get them coming and going in 2014.

The team will open the season with three road games in the first four weeks, the last of them on a Monday night (Sept. 29) at Kansas City’s raucous Arrowhead Stadium against a Chiefs team that improved from 2-14 in 2012 to 11-5 in 2013.

They’ll close the season with three road games in the last five weeks, two of them (at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field on Nov. 30 and at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium on Dec. 7) against teams that went to the playoffs in 2013.

That’s a potential recipe for disaster on both sides of the schedule for a team that was magnificent at home (8-0) but mediocre on the road (4-4) last year.

Sure, the 2013 Patriots went 12-4 during the regular season and advanced to the AFC Championship Game; they were also hard pressed to win regular-season games at Buffalo and Houston, at one point dropped four of five road games, and saw it all end with a postseason loss in Denver that was far more decisive than the 10-point margin of defeat would indicate.

Actually, the 2014 Patriots will be forced to play three games in a four-game stretch from late November into December on the road, the trips to Green Bay and San Diego followed by a game with the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 14 before they travel to play the Jets at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 21.

The Patriots will then conclude the regular season by playing host to Buffalo at Gillette on Dec. 28, concluding a three-game season-ending stretch against their three division rivals, the Dolphins, Jets and Bills.

Page 2 of 2 - On the plus side, the team’s bye is well placed, the idle time in Week 10 occurring just beyond the midpoint of the regular season and serving as welcome relief between stern tests against Peyton Manning and the conference champion Broncos at Gillette on Nov. 2 and No. 18’s successor in Indianapolis, Andrew Luck and the up-and-coming Colts, at Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov. 16.

That bye contributes to what amounts to an extended stay at home.

From the start of October through the middle of November, the Patriots’ lone road game will be with the Bills at Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium on Oct. 12 and their Sept. 21 home opener with the Oakland Raiders kicks off five of seven games at Gillette leading into their bye.

Glen Farley may be reached at gfarley@enterprisenews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @GFarley_ent.